Good bye January

Since I am supposed to graduate in December, I now think of time in relation to then.  So, today, I am one month closer to graduation!!!   Yippee!

Helps me focus, makes my mind see things that are pretty far away as a lot closer...  right...

Pure Exhaustion

I've only been back in school for two weeks, but I'm already so tired. Ugh it is going to be a really long semester. It's not about the battle though, just the war, right?

Well Child Check

I was going to talk about Ava's four year well child check that was done today, since I haven't been taking pics lately, I thought I would get an online image...  I searched "well child" and I got thousands of pictures of Prince Harry.  Why would a search about well children yield so many images of Prince Harry? 

http://www.wellchild.org.uk/Events-Awards.asp

"WellChild is the national charity for sick children. We help sick children and their families throughout the UK as they deal with the consequences of serious illness and complex conditions. Our mission is to reach as many children and young people as we can, year after year. We focus on three key areas - care, support and research - and our involvement in so many aspects of children's health puts us in a unique position."

Looks and sounds a lot like March of Dimes for the UK.  I love that the prince has his heart involved in this charity.  

Ava, one a preemie born 11 weeks early, is now one healthy four year old.  She participated fully and passed her hearing exam, eye exam, gross and fine motor exams, and her overall physical.  She didn't even cry until the third needle of her vaccines.  She is my only typically developing child, and she makes me incredibly proud.  She is also crazy, stubborn, opinionated, and sassy, but look past all of that because, damn it, she has beaten so much. Today I want to celebrate the well children, and hope that some day they can all be well children.  

http://www.marchforbabies.org/default.aspx?si=

Shovel

http://natural-hd-wallpapers.blogspot.com/2012/10/beautiful-snowfall-real-snowfall-hd.html

I think I might need a neutral density filter....

There was some weather predicted for today.  Snow and sleet, I read...  So I got up today around 8, went to the gym, no weather.  Actually I would say it was sort of warm, everything was melting.

Soon after I got back, Jon also returned with the groceries.  So I helped him put them away.  About an hour later, I look outside and it is pouring.  A few minutes later, its snowing... then its heavy... and just four hours later, there is like five inches out there...  It was pretty amazing.

After we went to visit Jon's mom and put the kids to bed, we cleared out the driveway together... I can't remember the last time we did that.

Sister Wives

A couple days ago I was looking for something to play on the TV while I studied.  Netflix thought I might like Sister Wives, a show that airs on TLC.  I turned it on, and quickly became totally addicted.  The Anthropologist in me, just frankly is fascinated.  

I find everything about them interesting.  The layout of their physical lives, the complex that they live in,  to their whole attitudes about sharing their spouse and beliefs about love.  I think the perspective of the children and the inter-workings of the family are interesting.  

I don't think there is any chance that polygamy would be for me, however, I don't see how it is worse than men who have four, five, six kids all with different mothers peppered around the state.  I mean, here a guy who has basically decided that he will have children with four women... AND is there in all of the lives of those children, and talking care of them and their mothers.  It seems to me, that there is more punishment under the Utah bigamy laws for this man and his wives, who are living as responsible and productive members of society, than there is for dead beat, promiscuous adults.

It still amazes me how much prejudice is built into our laws 150 years after our civil war and 50 years after the civil rights movement...  sad....

Its a very interesting culture to learn about if you promote tolerance and cultural diversity. 

Just keep Swimming

We started swimming lessons with the kids early in January.  The girls love it...  I think I have Alivya in a good class that is challenging for her.  I was worried that she would be beyond it.  Ava LOVES jumping into the pool.  She tries everything, and per her usual, she is excelling.  Wes screamed a lot the first week, the second week he was more cooperative and was happy the whole time.  He even jumped in and giggled over it.  Taylor is loving swim lessons the least.  He is so afraid that he won't try anything.  He doesn't trust anyone, and pretty much sits on the steps the whole time.  I feel conflicted about it all.  He needs to learn how to swim, but I feel like the teacher didn't really work with him at all.  She used the other two girls in the class as her excuse.  While I understand that she needs to work with all the kids... doesn't that include mine?

I tried to talk to the people at the Y about it, and they pretty much told me that my only option was to put Taylor in a class for disabled people that cost three times as much.  While I get that he has some special needs, I don't think his disability is this severe.

So we will see how this goes...

More of the same

You weren't expecting the exam result were you? 

I really will post real blogs again... just let me get back into the swing of this first!

Exam

I am really busy studying for my first exam of the semester...  so you get pics... wish me luck!

Garden of Lights 2012 photo dump

Hubby is really a great photographer (though, this work would be better if he didn't have to worry about our four children running rampant...) however, these displays are so vast that I am not sure any photographer could really do justice to the beauty. Enjoy!

Week 2

Today is the beginning  of my second week of classes... still working out, still studying hard...  still breathing... for now :)

Christmas Cookies 2012

I know, I am really, really behind... :(

Crap I didn't get done

Since the family was so sick during my "break" there is all this crap I literally didn't get done...  Posting photos of Taylor and Livi's first grade Holiday around the World concert was one of them... 

Taylor is the third kid in on the third row from the right if you are looking at the photo.  The adorable little Hmong girl in front of him, third kid in the second row, was such a temptation to him.  Her hat was covered in the back in colorful fun pompoms.  Taylor was so well behaved, even after the little boy next to him started playing with them.  Unfortunately, Taylor has a really bad oral fixation, especially when he is nervous.  So, the fingers were in his mouth or nose for most of it, and when they were not in, the tongue was out :(

Taylor got to play a triangle for his part in the show.  The little boy next to him probably has ADHD and went a little crazy at one point.  Of course it was Taylor, my little extreme rule follower, who set him straight very loudly...  at which point all the parents laughed.  I am thankful that while Taylor blushed over it, I don't think it had any residual effects.  

Livi, the at least the shortest girl in the whole first grade if not the shortest kid...  had a speaking part.  I was so very proud of her for memorizing two long lines.  She did great and even adjusted the microphone so everyone could hear her!

Alivya, like Taylor, also puts her fingers in her mouth when she is nervous... unlike Taylor, however, she can be distracted and corrected away from it...  

Very proud of my children, this was a big moment for them.  

Typical

This was supposed to be a nice photo... look at Jon, actually looking at the camera, smiling, looks nice.... 

Lol, Ava, go figure!

So much for a father daughter moment!

Princess

Ham!

Simply Fit

This was Taylor's favorite gift from Christmas... gold tissue paper that protected his actual gift... or mine...  Played with this the entire week. 

My favorite gift so far, is the YMCA membership! I joined an aerobics class called Simply Fit.  All the other ladies in the class are much older than me... but I get a work out and some good laughs, so I will take it!  

I also started doing circuit strength training.  Hoping to tone some of my old muscles!  

On the Mend

We continue to be on the mend following three weeks of illness wreaking havoc within our home.  

I am also officially a third semester nursing student... ahhh!!!!  Yeah, I can't believe how weird that sounds coming out of my mouth.  I think last semester really took a lot out of me, and as a defense mechanism, I totally blocked it all out during break.  Look at that, mental health class is already infecting me...  ugh... is it May yet?

Moping after the Packer loss

Ok, well I have actually moped worse in past years...  the loss is disappointing, but it is just a game.  I think I will cheer for San Fran, I thought their young QB was very poise.  

Work weekend

I am so lucky that I have an awesome co-worker who agreed to come in for me for a few hours in the middle of my day so that I could attend the memorial service of a dear friend.  

Last weekend, the world lost Bruce.  I met Bruce through his wife Jan, who I met while volunteering and later working at the Outagamie County Historical Society.  I started my volunteer work there in 1993... so that is a lot of years that I have known them...  And as many things in my world have transformed over the years, Bruce and Jan had remained a staple model couple.  They complemented each other in nearly every way.  As I grew up, literally in front of their eyes, they served not only as dear friends, but role models, confidents, and cheerleaders whenever I needed them.  I don't remember a lot from my father's funeral, but I remember Jan and Bruce.  They embraced me as a daughter of their own.  I don't think I have ever justifiably told them how very influential they have been in my life. 

I know now that it is in one way too late for me to share that with Bruce, whose generosity the world will deeply miss.  But Jan, I know that your heart is hurting, I hope that knowing how special you both are, will help it to begin healing.  Thank you for everything (and sorry that I really suck at saying these sorts of things out loud!)

Your send off surely made Bruce smile wherever his new project is!

Recovering

Happy Birthday Ava and Wes!

I love you both so much! Can't believe you are four already!!!

Hope you enjoyed your Kipper and Tiger cup cakes!

Solar system photo dump

Since tomorrow there will be a whole bunch of photos of the next cake, I guess I should get these up..
The Solar System cake:

Ok... shsh, done...